


Damaged More

by FairyNiamh



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Medical Trauma, Not Beta Read, Pre-Relationship, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:53:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25903879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyNiamh/pseuds/FairyNiamh
Summary: Stiles body was damaged more than anyone knew, or expected.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 12
Kudos: 216





	Damaged More

**Author's Note:**

> Written on a Kindle Fire. If I missed a tag, please let me know.

Stiles had been under a lot of stress as of late. He had made it past Scott changing, said idiot falling in love, Derek’s paranoia, Kate’s insanity, Jackson’s jealousy, Peter's psychopathy and Peter’s death, Peter coming back to life, the Kanima, the Argents murderous tendencies, Matt’s creepy stalking, fucking Gerard (eww, that just sounded wrong in his brain), and whatever else a normal hormonal teenager had to face. He had dealt with a shit ton of bullshit during his sophomore year and lived to tell the tale.

So, was it too much to ask for a semi-calm junior year? Evidently, it was. Then he had to deal with human sacrifices, Alpha packs, The Darach, some of his pack dying, and some coming back to life. What was it with Werewolves refusing to stay dead? Were they like vampires and need a stake through the heart to stay dead?

Not that he was complaining mind you. Not really. He had been truly saddened by the deaths of Erica and Boyd, and he was damned glad he had received more time to be with them. However, when he thought about what Peter might have done to cause their resurrection… well, it was more than a little disturbing and not an easy thing to think of.

Still, all of this stress wasn’t good for his health. His Adderall, where it was helping him focus, it wasn’t exactly treating his body all that kindly either. The doctors and his dad were extremely worried about his lack of appetite and sudden weight loss. They had even tested him for recreational drugs (because of course, they couldn’t trust a teenager to tell the damned truth.)

Stiles couldn’t explain to them about his stress; and how food felt like it turned to ash the second it touched his tongue. He couldn’t explain how more often than not he cried himself to sleep. The worry about everything was just making him more and more miserable. His Dad may know about the supernatural shit now (kind of), but that was all the more reason not to voice his concerns to him. He would have surely put far too many restrictions on Stiles.

He could probably talk to Scott or Derek about it, but Scott was recovering from his own stress, and Derek was still wallowing in guilt creek. If Deucalion hadn’t killed Jennifer, Stiles would have hunted her down and killed her, for the torture she put Derek, and the rest of them, through.

Talking to Peter was out of the question. Yes, he had helped them greatly in their battle against Jennifer and the Alpha Pack, but Stiles still doesn’t trust him. So, he held it all in. Never once letting out any clue of the worry that was eating at him. Doing his best not to complain, to not to add any more stress on the people around him. It wasn’t easy, and most of the time he felt as if he would break under the pressure of everything, but he was pressing on and pushing through.

Maybe if he had opened up a little, things wouldn’t have escalated; maybe he would have also kept that promise he had made to himself about not adding to their stress. Maybe if he had kept a journal or something; he wouldn’t have popped like a balloon. Maybe, doesn't help. Still, something had to give at some point. He was still, only human after all.

"I don’t want to go get the milk. Make Stiles do it; all he ever does is sit around and watch us, or play on his stupid computer." It was Erica, of all the people, to push his buttons just enough to make him snap.

Stiles glared daggers at the blond sitting on the couch. "I only sit around and watch? Are we completely forgetting about each and every time I saved your werewolf asses? Are we forgetting the plans _I_ have to come up with, because the only strategy you wolves have is _attack_? Yes, please tell me more about how all I do is sit around. I mean, I must have been sitting on my ass two months ago when my arm was snapped in two."

"Stiles, calm down. No one is saying you were slacking. You know that. So, would you please, go and get the milk; this way I can talk to Erica?" Derek asked gently, hoping to calm the younger man down.

Stiles wasn’t sure what happened. He heard Derek's words and knew that he had meant them, but it didn't truly register with his brain. All that he knew, was that he was being dumped on, again, and it made his blood boil and his stomach churn. "Go fuck yourselves," he ground out, before losing his lunch on Derek's concrete floor and passing out.

When Stiles passed out there was a flurry of activity. Derek had tried to catch the young man before he fell, but missed him by a good two seconds. He smelled the acid of Stiles' sick and more importantly, he smelled the blood that had also been thrown up.

"What the hell?" Erica screamed as she made her way over to the duo. "Why is he throwing up blood? That's not a good sign, Derek."

"I'm well aware of that, Erica. Go and get the fucking milk, while I take him to Deaton," Derek ordered, as he lifted Stiles from the floor.

"Fuck the milk, Derek, and no Deaton. He needs a human doctor. Take him to the hospital, while I call Scott," she ordered her Alpha.

"Sure, take him to the hospital, where I will be bombarded with a barrage of questions that I have no answers for; and will probably be killed by his father. Good thinking, Erica," was the sarcastic answer. 

"Drop him off at the exit or take him to Scott, but not Deaton. Hurry up, we don't know if he's dying or not," Erica ordered, as she wrung her hands nervously.

Derek let out a growl of frustration. "Call Melissa and ask her to meet me at the hospital, then call his dad, and then Deaton. We don’t know if this is something natural or supernatural, and we need to know."

"Fine, go, I'm on it," she said, as she pulled out her phone and began to rapidly dial numbers. 

On the porch, Derek laid Stiles back down to check for any external injuries. His head wasn’t bleeding, but that didn’t rule out a head injury. Especially, with the goose egg forming on the side of his head was any indication. He really needed the young man to wake up; so, he could be sure it was safe to carry him.

"Come on Stiles, wake up. I need you to wake up and talk to me," Derek said, as he gently patted the young man’s cheeks.

"Der’k," Stiles moaned after a few minutes of panic, his eyes fluttering open and he looked around.

"Hey, careful now. How, how long have you been throwing up blood? Is this the first time?" Derek asked as he carefully reached for the sick human.

"Doesn't matter. I'll just go home and crash. Pretty sure, I'll be right as rain in the morning," Stiles said weakly, as he slowly moved to his hands and knees.

"No, I think you need to go to the hospital and that is where we are headed. You don't have to be stubborn and stick it out. You're only human, after all." Derek thought that he was doing a good job of explaining his position, until Stiles fist connected to his jaw.

"I may not heal as fast as you wolves, but I am anything but 'only human'. Just remember who _always_ comes in to save your asses when you get in a bind. Do not patronize me Derek or I will make sure you live to regret it," Stiles panted out, as he struggled to his feet. He was not weak, and he had done everything in his power to prove his worth to this fucking pack, and to Scott and they all still treated him like crap.

Here lately, he had wondered if it had been wise to turn down Peter's offer to turn him into a wolf. An offer he had repeated after becoming an Alpha once again by killing a rogue Alpha, who had wandered into the area shortly after they had gotten rid of the Alphas. Silly Stiles had turned him down, staying true to Derek and Scott. At least Peter understood his worth and knew his value. Maybe it wasn't too late to seek the older man out and cave in.

However, in his heart of hearts, he knew he would be agreeing to more than becoming the man's Beta. He had been more than a little obsessed with Stiles, and where it was flattering and all, he just did not feel inclined to be Peter's personal sex slave.

Which is another thing that has yet to happen? Stiles was still holding his v-card in spite of offering it to several people. Well, Danny was truly in love with Ethan and the young Beta seemed equally attached to Danny, so he was glad that Danny had refused. They made a surprisingly cute couple.

Lydia seemed to be attuned to Aiden, too. He would never understand her attraction to overcompensating assholes, but if that was what rocked her boat, more power to her. Stiles could not, and would not, become someone he's not just to satisfy her masochistic side.

He yelped as Derek picked him up and carried him, bridal style, to his Camaro, which yanked him from his thoughts. "Put me down you asshole, I told you, I would just sleep it off."

"I will not allow you to crawl home to die. I said I would take you to the hospital, and that is exactly what I am going to do. What kind of person do you take me for?" Derek’s hurt expression did nothing to quell the anger and hurt that had taken up residence in Stiles.

Instead of delivering his scathing retort, Stiles simply rolled out of the Alpha's arms to land on his hands and knees in the mud as he threw up more blood.

"Shit, you are far from okay, Stiles; and you are going to the fucking hospital. You look like death warmed over," Derek declared nervously as he rubbed the younger man's back waiting for him to stop heaving blood.

It truly worried him. Stiles was getting paler and looked like he was ready to pass out or worse, die. Derek – Derek didn’t want that to happen. They may not be close, but he cared about Stiles far more than he was willing to openly admit.

"How long has this been happening?" Derek asked as he picked Stiles off the ground and ran for his car.

"Ju-just a month or two. I’ll be okay, just need to sleep," Stiles insisted softly as Derek buckled him into his seat.

"Then you should have gone to the hospital or doctor after the first time. What were you thinking? No sleeping! You need to stay awake until we get to the hospital," Derek growled before slamming the passenger door and rushing to his side.

He had to have set some sort of land speed record getting to the hospital. He would have made it quicker, but he had to keep a hand on Stiles, to shake him awake when his head started to dip.

"Hey Stiles, what is your blood type?" Derek asked, preparing for the worst.

"Dad - mom. Poor mom had to get a shot when she was pregnant with me. Made her sick, puke, not good," Stiles muttered before taking a deep breath.

"So, you’re a positive, maybe, that's something. Stiles, I really need you to focus and tell me your blood type." Derek tried again.

"A, B, C, D..." he sang badly. 

"Stiles! What is your blood type?" He insisted. 

"O Positive and stop yelling. So, loud. I just want to sleep man," Stiles whined.

"Okay, you're a common positive blood type. Noted. You can sleep, when the hospital says you can sleep," Derek informed him.

Stiles let out a high-pitched whine, before curling up in his seat. His arms wrapped around his midsection. "Melissa is so going to kill me."

"I don’t think she’ll kill you. Just make you wish you were dead. Stay awake," Derek insisted as he drove faster. If the police wanted to stop him, they were welcome to catch him at the hospital. That wasn’t a bad idea, it would certainly get the Stiles’ father there without any uncomfortable phone calls on his end.

"You're a mean and sadistic bastard. I just need something to eat and sleep. Promise, I won't wake up dead tomorrow," he whined. 

"Yeah, not happening. You know what? You need to call your dad and talk to him," he suggested. 

"Bout what?" Stiles asked as he blindly groped for his phone.

"About your day. Tell him what you’ve been doing, how you’ve been feeling. Tell him about the pack. About how Erica and the rest of us are driving you batty. Honestly, I don’t care what you talk to him about, just talk to him. I bet he’s worried, because Erica was going to call him. You know how she likes to exaggerate; I bet she told him you’re dying. So, make sure he knows you’re okay," he proposed.

"Don't want to talk to Dad; he's gonna be pissed," Stiles groaned as he finally pulled out his phone.

Derek bit his lip and groaned. "Why would he get pissed at you? You've not done anything wrong. He might get pissed at other people though," Derek honestly informed him, as he drove.

Stiles laughed and coughed up some more blood. "Not supposed to play with wolves, anymore. I can't leave you guys though. Don't want to leave my pack, even if they don't see me as a pack member."

"We see you as part of the pack, Stiles. You've helped us - helped me, more than any person, ever has. I know that we cause you grief, but you belong to us as much as we belong to you. Hey, you need to stay awake, baby," the were rambled.

Stiles groaned in protest. "You're so sweet. You know just what to say. Will you talk to my dad? Will you tell him what you told me? Cause he won't listen to me. Says all I do is lie. I shouldn't be going to the hospital; he'll think I'm faking this too." 

"I doubt he'll think you're faking it, Stiles and if he does, I am sure the hospital will back you up. We're almost there. I bet he's there waiting for you, worried. He loves you; you know? My dad loved me like that before he died. I miss him," Derek winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He knew that there was some tension between Stiles and his Dad, but he didn't think it was as bad as what Stiles was thinking.

"Sleep now?" Stiles muttered as soon as he pulled into the hospital parking lot.

"No, no sleeping until it's been cleared by the doctor. You should be able to sleep soon though, we're here and I bet your dad is just inside waiting for us," Derek replied encouragingly.

Stiles just groaned as Derek got out of the car and came around to the other side. He wondered why none of the nurses were coming out to greet them, because he was sure that Erica had called ahead and warned them that they were coming. This might not be a heart attack, but it was no less of an emergency. 

He pulled Stiles from the car and carried him bridal style into the waiting room. He would make sure Stiles was going to be fine. He - he had to be fine. The pack needed him, even if they didn't realize it. "I need a doctor in here!" he yelled as soon as he entered the emergency room. "Stiles, you need to wake up." He jiggled the sleeping young man in his arms.

"What's going on here?" an irritated nurse asked, as she came into the room.

"He was throwing up blood and now he's passed out," Derek said frantically.

"Are you his guardian?" she questioned snidely. 

Derek shook his head and held him close. "No, I'm not. The Sheriff is his dad."

"Cheryl, you already knew that. Now, quit hitting on the poor boy and get to attending to the patient," a familiar voice said from behind Derek.

The graying blond huffed as she went into a curtained area without another word to him. "Follow after her. I’ll be there shortly," Melissa instructed him softly. 

"Well," Cheryl huffed. "Lay him on the table. Can you tell me what happened to him this time?"

Derek shook his head. He had been thrown for a loop by the 'this time' part of the question. He wondered how many times the younger man had been in the hospital without the pack knowing; and how many of those times were the result of the pack and/or pack business.

He took a deep breath and recited what remembered. "Everyone at the house was fussing and he threw a fit... then he started to throw up blood. Too much blood."

"We warned him to stay calm and avoid stressful situations. I bet he isn't even taking the medicine we prescribed him last time," Cheryl's exasperated tone made Derek's hackles rise. Stiles may be a pain in the ass from time to time, but he was honestly tired of everyone just assuming things about him. That mindset had caused this problem in the first place.

"He said his blood type - " he started.

"We are well aware of his blood type; however, there is nothing that can be done until his father gets here. He is listed as his next of kin and the person who can make medical decisions in the event that the idiot is unconscious. Such as now,” she explained coldly. 

Just as Derek was getting ready to throttle the woman, Melissa came in and saved the nurse. "Cheryl, shut up and send Sandy in. We do not have time for your petty butt hurt. You know very well that I have been allowed to sign for Stiles since he was nine-years-old and I can sign now."

"Not while you're on the clock," Cheryl hissed viciously.

Melissa held her hand to her mouth in fake shock. "I guess it's a good thing Dr. Wright let me clock out to tend to this. Move it or lose it, because if I have to hear your voice anymore tonight; I swear I will see your ass fired. I don't care if it will increase my workload. Because you already caused enough trouble, to triple my current time."

"Is she going to come back in here?" Derek asked with a low growl.

The nurse turned in a huff and left the curtained area in an obvious snit. Derek wondered how anyone under her care ever got around to actually seeing a doctor. "No, she's not. She's not a bad nurse," Melissa said quietly. "She is just a bit of a cougar and suffering from a recent divorce. We warned her not to buy a groom through the mail, but she didn't listen to us. Hopefully, she'll return to being the super nurse she was before Jeremic filed for divorce."

"Do they offer a class on bedside manners? If they do, she is in desperate need of a refresher course," Derek replied evenly, with his arms crossed over his chest.

Melissa's laugh was contagious enough to make the Alpha smile, and then frown as he looked at the pale figure on the bed. "He'll be fine. Sadly, this isn't the first time this has happened. Look, I know you guys are all close-knit and have to deal with some pretty heavy shit, but can you go easy on him for a bit?"

"What's wrong with him?" Derek finally asked.

The older woman winced and sighed deeply. "They'll have to run some tests and do some x-rays to make a positive diagnosis. Now, I can tell you what I _think_ it is."

Derek nodded his head as he listened to Melissa and frowned a bit. "I'll take your guess over mine, at this point."

"I think his gastric ulcer has gotten a lot worse. It could have actually caused some true intestinal damage this time. He's been on a fairly strict diet, only breaking it now and again. We honestly thought that diet, exercise, and the pills would have helped him, but we needed him to avoid NSAIDs, you know aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and stress, too... and it sounds like he hasn't been avoiding the second," Melissa explained.

The Alpha winced and then sighed. "He also hasn't been following the first part either. He sprained his ankle the other day and all I had in the house was aspirin. If I had known, I would have never insisted that he take it. Shit, I shouldn't have called him a big baby and forced the issue."

"You didn't know, so don't beat yourself up. Just - when you go home; be sure to get something other than aspirin. It's okay once in a while, but it can cause stomach issues. Even coated ones can. So, maybe get some Acetaminophen… umm Tylenol," Melissa warned.

Derek didn't say anything, just nodding at her words. He didn't like hospitals, and he hated Stiles being hurt. It made him feel off-balance and un-centered. Which are two things that Derek hates the feeling of.

"Listen, thank you for bringing him in, but they're not going to let you stay back here. If you want to head home, I'll have Scott give you a call when we know something more about Stiles. I doubt they'll admit him, but there is always the chance. Besides, I know you and John don't exactly see eye to eye on certain things," Melissa explained smoothly.

Derek's brow creased at the thought of leaving before knowing exactly how the youngest member of his pack was doing. "I'll face the Sheriff or anyone else. I can't leave until I know he's okay. Please, don't make me leave."

Melissa's heart broke when she heard the other man's voice break. It reminded her so much of Stiles when Claudia had died, and again of her own son's voice when his father left them. She knew heartbreak, and this man's heart was beyond that. "Just wait in the waiting room. I really can't let you stay back here, but I promise to keep you updated. Do you have a cell phone?"

Derek nodded and pulled his phone from his back pocket and handed it to her as he clutched Stiles keys to his chest. Just as she had programmed her number in; John had rushed through the doors and demanded to see Stiles, totally oblivious to Derek's presence.

Derek sat quietly in the waiting room and did what the room was intended for, he waited. He didn't know or understand how people could stand places like this. It was so- somber and smelled of illness and death, with a faintest hint of new life making the place less like a mausoleum. He half wanted to make his way to the maternity ward to see said new life, but he didn't want to miss out on the chance of hearing any news about Stiles' health.

It was to his utter shock that it was John, not Melissa, who came out to sit next to him. He wasn't afraid of the man, he had a lot of respect for him and the position he held, but that didn't mean that he wasn't afraid of what the man could possibly have done to him.

"Thank you," John said with a yawn, as he sat down next to Derek.

"Welcome," Derek muttered simply, though he wasn't exactly sure what he had done to be thanked.

John leaned back in the chair and sighed. "Melissa kicked me out, when I finally cracked and threatened the doctor."

Derek looked at the man shocked by the revelation, which of course, made John start to laugh.

"You may find this hard to believe, but I am a father, before I'm an officer of the law. The doctor treating Stiles, pissed me off when he all but blamed this all on him. My son is lying in a bed, unconscious, receiving a blood transfusion, and he is busy laying all the blame on my boy. I wanted to tell him that he wouldn't want to live in Beacon Hills without my son and his friends. You guys, you bring chaos, welcome it even, but you do your best to keep things under control. I know this, Derek, and I may have busted your balls about it, but I am not so delusional as to think that I can handle half the shit you and your pack handle. Just so you know; Stiles sat me down and had a nice long talk with me and all but told me that he was in your pack and planned on staying there," John explained.

"Sorry," Derek said automatically.

John just snorted in response to the apology. "I'm his dad and I can't control him. I doubt that you could either. Look, all I am saying is that I understand, and I don't blame you for Stiles being in this condition, but I would appreciate it if you can help me in healing him. You and your pack, please."

"I'll try,” he honestly whispered. 

"That's all any of us can do. I hope Melissa gives us the word, then we can both go back and visit him," John groaned as he stretched his tired muscles.

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm not family," Derek asked softly.

John just sat there, looked at the young man in front of him, and shook his head. "Not all family members share blood ties. After losing his baby sister, Stiles took it upon himself to adopt lonely people. The first person he ever adopted; was Scott. With him, came Melissa, and Stiles was content with our small family of four for the longest time. No, actually that only lasted a few years. 

See, he _really_ wanted to adopt an older brother and sister, shortly after my wife had passed. They had lost their family, and Stiles wanted to help them heal. I think he could have done just that, too. Except that the brother and sister left town before anyone could approach them. Stiles still went to visit their uncle once the man was out of critical condition and he was given permission by the nurses.

He would take books in there to read to the man. I never took the time to learn the man's name, but he made Stiles feel important. As if he was doing something that the brother and sister would have done if they had not run away. Every holiday, he would come and sing carols, or read a different story to the man. Ironically, the story he read to your uncle the most was 'Little Red Riding Hood'. I sometimes wonder if his reading helped or hindered your uncle's healing."

Derek just sat there absorbing the words that the Sheriff shared. It made sense that Stiles would have visited Peter while the man was in a catatonic state. It was probably Stiles early loving gestures, which made Peter protective of him. Derek had thought that Peter saw Stiles as an interesting new play toy. Now, he knows that Stiles was... is an intrinsic part of Peter's core being. Hell, Peter probably didn't even know why he felt the way he did about the young boy. In fact, Stiles had become a vital part of the pack and it was past time that they paid him what was due.

"You don't believe me, do you?" John asked with a smirk after several long minutes of silence had passed between the two men.

"Actually, I do believe you. It sounds like something Stiles would do. I just, I feel stupid for never knowing. For never taking the time to figure out anything about my uncle. I mean, Peter isn't all there, but I think he would have been infinitely worse without Stiles' care. Shit, how is it possible for someone so young is able to carry that much weight around and still hold that much love inside?" Derek questioned in awe of the younger man's achievements.

John was spared having to answer, as a harried-looking Melissa came out to greet them. "He has an ulcer, as we suspected. Nothing is infected, but we're keeping him overnight for observation and to rehydrate him intravenously. The doctor doesn't want to risk waking him up, so he's putting him in the MICU and visiting hours just ended there."

John and Derek blinked in unison at the news and looked ready to rebel at not getting to see Stiles. "You can both stop it. You know that if you tried to go in there, he would try to keep you entertained; and he really does need to sleep. The doctor has put him on a mild sedative and he has been given a second unit of blood. Providing all the blood work and ultrasound comes back looking good, he will be released tomorrow, just before lunch. If there are still issues, they will release him to the general ward. So, both of you, go home, get some food, shower, and sleep. Visiting hours start at 10 a.m. Don't make Stiles wait longer than that. You know he's going to drive the staff nuts... and if he doesn't, then we really have to worry."

Melissa did not wait around for the two men to start bickering at her. She knew that neither of them would overtly disobey doctor’s orders; nor endanger Stiles recovery. If she said it was for the best, well they would at least wait until she was off shift to cause trouble for the doctors and staff.

John let out a sigh and looked at the lost young man beside him. It was so very easy to forget how young Derek Hale actually was, it was even easier to forget the weight he usually carried on his shoulders. "I'm sure the pack has already passed out back at your place. Why don't you stay in our spare bedroom? Then, in the morning, we can come up here together."

Derek looked startled at the possibility and the offer in general. Like he had never expected John to extend any courtesies to him, and perhaps he shouldn't have. It was not like John had gone out of his way to be polite, let alone kind to the Alpha. "I have to call them, so they don't worry. I'll meet you at your place," Derek muttered.

The Sheriff nodded his head, turned to leave, and then looked back and suggested; "Use the front door this time. It would make it easier on the both of us."

He was walking away, before he could see the pink creeping up on Derek's ears and nose. It was easy to forget that John was the Sheriff and knew his way around a crime scene... including breaking and entering.

He did not know why he and Stiles ever thought that they were hiding anything from his father. Neither of them were subtle. Though, at least Derek had never sneaked in for the reason most are sneaking in for. Not that he had never thought about that. He had, on many occasions, fantasized about those long fingers running all over his body followed by that sinful mouth sucking his nipples and aching cock.

Derek shook himself from his current train of thoughts and called his pack. None of them were happy that there was nothing to truly report about their human pack member and that none of them, Scott included, were to bother the young man recovering at the hospital. Once he was sure that they would obey his orders, he made his way to his car and then headed for the Sheriff 's house.

The front porch light had been left on, presumably for him. Something that had not occurred since his family had passed on. It was heartwarming and heart wrenching all at the same time. He made his way slowly to the front door, in case the Sheriff had changed his mind, and then even slower reached out to ring the doorbell for the first time.

The door was opened just as his finger had brushed against the doorbell. "Well, don't let all the heat out. Get in here and I'll show you where the spare bedroom is. Unless Stiles' already showed you."

The younger man shook his head. "No, I only know where his bedroom is."

John made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat. "Well, I guess that's usually how it is between lovers. You're welcome here at any time, as long as you use the front door and please, never tell me about your sex life with Stiles. I love my son, but there are certain things that a father does not need to know about."

Derek made a choked off sound that sounded strangely like eep. The poor boy didn't know how to handle the information that the Sheriff was getting all wrong. "We're not, and I haven't..."

John just looked at the Alpha and rolled his eyes. "I appreciate that you two don't do that stuff while I'm here, son. Again, please, shhh, this is a don't ask don't tell situation, for me. I'm perfectly fine with Stiles being gay. I'm even okay with him having an older werewolf boyfriend, but I am not okay with knowing the details. This is the spare bedroom. You may need to open a window to let in a little fresh air. Don't keep it open though, I cannot afford to heat the outdoors. The bathroom is across the hall, towels are under the sink, and extra blankets are in the linen closet in the hall. Please, help yourself. I'll wake you up at 8ish so we can eat breakfast, before we go see Stoles. Also, please, do not gore me when I come to wake you. Sleep well," and with that, he disappeared from the room leaving a very confused wolf in his wake.

Derek blinked a few times and then went to open the window. It was stuffy in there and had a faint perfume smell. He wondered what this room used to be. It was very large. More like a master bedroom than a guest room. Then it hit him. This probably was the master bedroom. John and Stiles clearly loved the missing woman and babe of the house. The possibility that neither of them could sleep in here with those +memories of her was high.

It made the Alpha's heartache in sympathy. As much as he loved his Camaro, there were times when being in it could get overwhelming. Not as much as being in his shell of a house had been, but it was still there. He was glad that the Marlon pack had agreed to pack up Laura's apartment and keep the stuff in storage until Derek could come up to New York to pick it up.

Thankfully, the sheets were clean and he didn't think that he would need much in the way of covers. Just a small blanket at the most. He quietly made his way out of the room and across the hall. He did need a shower. He hated the hospital smell. It brought back painful memories.

He pulled out the towels and then hopped into the shower. He made the shower as fast as he could, in spite of the pressing urge to linger under the too hot water. As he shut off the shower, he remembered that he had not brought a change of clothes along with him when he took the human to the hospital. He hadn't thought that he would need it, plus he always had Stiles to remember small details like that. He resigned himself to wearing his dirty clothes.

The only problem was; his clothes were not where he had left them. Instead, there was a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He instantly recognized that they were from Stiles stash. He was impressed with the Sheriff and upset with himself.

He hadn't heard the older man come into the room, let alone switch out Derek's clothes. He listened for the sound of movement; and discovered that he could easily hear the washing machine, but nothing else. Well, he could hear John snoring softly from the man's room.

Derek entered the guest room and closed the window, looked around, and frowned. Everything confused him right now. He was worried about Stiles. Weirded out by John thinking he was in a relationship with his son... and being okay with it.

He is man enough to admit that he was... is attracted to Stiles, but he was also smart enough to know that the bright young man did not view him in the same light.

Which was depressing as fuck. He wondered if he could change the young man's mind. Perhaps by becoming the Alpha he needs to be, rather than the one he wants to be. He was not the teens' parents. He was not their friend. He was the Alpha. His mother was an Alpha, he could remember her kindness and a firm hand. He had let the pack get away with far too much out of a sense of guilt. He was finished with that.

With a nod of his head, he closed his eyes and readied himself to change. For Stiles' sake, he would be a better Alpha, a better mate perspective, and a better person.

\---------

Eight came a lot sooner than he was happy with, but he bolted up when John knocked on the door, he was anxious to see Stiles again. 

"Do you drink coffee?" the Sheriff asked with a yawn.

"Not often," he admitted.

"When he moves away to be with you, you will need to invest in coffee and a good coffee machine. Well, once he's healed that is. I haven't had a decent cup of coffee in months," the Sheriff complained.

"Have you tried the coffee at the cafe?" the werewolf asked, genuinely curious.

John nodded, "Yes, but when it comes to coffee, no one can out brew Stiles. Which means, until he gets cleared to have coffee, I have to do without. Whatever you do, never trust Parrish to brew you a cup of coffee. You will be awake and be bouncing off the wall for a week."

Derek chuckled at the shiver that ran through the Sheriff. "I don't think Stiles will ever move in with me."

"He will, just give him time. He's not the type to flit around from person to person. Even when he was little, he was monogamous, even if he wasn't in a romantic relationship," the man admitted with a chuckle. 

"Lydia," Derek sighed sadly. 

"Yep, he loved her for years. Until you came back to Beacon Hills, but he was in love with someone before he even saw her. That person never knew how broken they had left him,” the Sheriff replied flippantly. 

"How many times has his heart been broken?" he knew he would regret the answer to the question. However, he needed to know.

John sighed and shook his head, "I can't tell you how many times Lydia broke his heart. I know you've broken his heart 3 or 4 times. Not fully clear on the actual number."

"Me? How did _I_ break his heart?" he squeaked out the question.

The Sheriff looked at him and chuckled. "Which time do you want to know about?"

"I don't care. All of them?" There was just no way that he had ever broken Stiles' heart.

"Hmm, the first time was when he caught you with, and I quote, some ugly old hag. Seeing as that was a bit before the fire, he probably saw you making out with Kate Argent," he replied after a few moments in thought. 

Derek's eyes widened. It was true that Stiles had hated her far more than Derek could ever understand.

"The second time was when you and your sister left. He felt that you had abandoned him. He had been playing at liking Lydia, but it was you he had a 15-year plan for. When I told him that you two needed a place to live, he said that you two could have stayed with us. We both understand why you left, now, but at the time, his 11-year-old heart was shattered. He was sure, he would never see you again. It was a full year before he managed to sleep through the night," he rattled off as he kept an eye on the traffic.

Derek nodded at the tale. It fit the earlier things John had told him. It didn't make him feel any better.

"Then there came a crazy old hag. This time a teacher. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her than the façade she had on. That there was a darkness around her. I found out the 'more' when she kidnapped me. Where I didn't initially agree with the hag part of his statement, I did agree with the crazy," he admitted with wide eyes.

"Jennifer, yeah, being with her was not one of my brightest moments," he admitted.

"The last time was when you disappeared. When you showed up de-aged to 16, I was ready to throw in the towel. Stiles was really excited to have you at that age. He thought that was the opening he needed to your heart. It wasn't. He vowed to give up on becoming more of a friend with you and just to watch you from afar, but I think it was what he needed. I noticed the two of you spending more and more time together. Don't break his heart again. I'm not sure what will happen," he warned sternly. 

He went silent thinking about what he had just been told. He was sure that he had never meant that much to anyone, yet the Sheriff seemed to hold a lot of weight to his words. So, perhaps he was important to Stiles and his health. Fuck, maybe he had contributed to the condition more than he had suspected.

"Don't beat yourself up over water under the bridge. You cannot be held accountable for emotions you were unaware of. Now, you know the depth of his emotions. Now, you can make a step in the right direction, if that is what you _both_ want. Let's get breakfast and then to the hospital, before he drives everyone crazy," John chuckled. 

"Can we stop by the pharmacy? I need to pick up some Tylenol," he asked softly.

"Sure, generic works just as well, but make sure to get regular and extra strength. _After_ we stop for breakfast," he said firmly. 

They had a mostly silent meal at the diner. John was right about the coffee, it wasn't good, however their tea was worse. He had never thought much of Stiles tea making skills, but now he had to admit, the boy did more than they gave him credit for. The food was decent. Especially the bacon that Derek had been sworn to secrecy about. He wouldn't rat him out, he was honorable. He also wasn't stupid enough to get between Stiles and his father's health. He liked his balls where they were, thank you very much.

After finishing breakfast, he made a quick trip to the pharmacy, a building over, where he bought the pills needed, and they were off to the hospital.

Stiles was still asleep when they arrived at the hospital. Both men were more than a bit broken-hearted at the thin form, that had been through too much, still sleeping. Which was so unnatural. They were used to the always moving, talking, lively, vivacious Stiles. 

Then they remembered what Melissa had said the night before, and they worried. They worried that perhaps they had missed something more serious, but surely the hospital would have called. Right? Why was he still asleep?

"I was just resting my eyes, I’m not dead. Please, don't start the joyful wake yet. Wait until I am actually dead, I beg for your mercy," came the hoarse reply from the bed.

"Stiles," both men joyfully called.

"What time is it? Are they going to release me yet?" came the apparent and expected questions from the boy who still looked like death warmed over.

"You gave Derek here quite a scare, kiddo," he chided, deflecting the answer.

"Oh yeah, I still need to go get the milk," the boy remembered as he struggled to get up.

"Erica can get the milk or do without it. Your health is more important to me, than her needs," Derek replied fervently.

"I don't want to cause any issues," Stiles groaned, before laying back down.

The werewolf closed his eyes and his dad sighed. "Then, remember to take care of yourself. We don't like seeing you like this. I have _never_ seen your boyfriend look so... lost. No, I have, but you should never cause the people you love undue distress. We love you too much to lose you."

Both Derek and Stiles stared at the man with wide eyes and pink cheeks. "I'm not stupid nor blind. Now, I am going to find the doctor and give you two some alone time."

Stiles waited until the door was closed before harshly whispering, "You told my dad that you were my boyfriend? What kind of game are you at playing here?"

"I didn't tell him anything. He hit me with the boyfriend whammy last night when he showed me to the guestroom. I tried to correct him, but he kept shutting me down," he explained.

"I feel like my dad is setting us up," the younger man muttered confused about what had happened while he was unconscious.

The werewolf looked at the boy and shrugged. "I'm not sorry about that. After all, he is already getting ready for you to live with me."

"Why aren't you freaking out? You _hate_ me!" he wailed softly.

Derek shook his head sadly. "I never hated you. I hated some of the shit you've pulled, but never you. You just confused me."

Stiles looked at the werewolf as if he had two heads and he was hiding the one he was used to seeing. "Did you hit your head?"

"No," he wondered if it had been that bad to him.

The younger boy just shook his head sadly, "I don't think it would be smart to get together. What would your pack think?"

Derek lifted Stiles' chin, forcing eye contact to make sure he would understand what the werewolf was saying, "I don't give a damn about what they say or think about our relationship. I have liked you for a few years. I have held back out of respect for you and your Dad. As humiliating as it is, he gave me courage to claim you. Your mine Stiles Stilinski. Yes, you drive me crazy, but I wouldn't want you any other way. I am going to kiss you now. If you don't want me to do it, you better speak up now."

He was only a little surprised when he was pulled down for a kiss. Neither was sure how long that they had been kissing before a bemused Sheriff was cleaning his throat. "I know about the need for life reassurance gestures, but the doctor will be here soon and I don't think he'll clear you to go home without a physical examination. Nothing as intensive as what Derek was giving you, but it needs to be done."

The pair sat there, holding hands, and blushing like teenaged virgins. Never mind that, technically Stiles was a teenager. Still, 18 was an adult in the eyes of the law and his father. He was old enough to vote... and old enough to marry. 

Derek would wait at least six months after the doctor says he has fully healed before asking John's permission for Stiles hand, but he would ask. Some might think he was moving too fast, but the pair knew that there might be no tomorrow and had a need to live and love for the now and hold onto it for as long as you could.

They had been pushed to see beyond their narrow vision and he was not going to go backwards. To hell with what other people think. They finally had each other and that is what they wanted and deserved.

The doctor released him from the hospital with strict orders in food, exercise, and medicines (all of which John took to the station and made copies for every pack member, his refrigerator, Derek's refrigerator and Melissa.) Stiles grumbled about the diet being on the refrigerators, but he accepted it.

Jackson only called Stiles the pack bitch once. Everyone was surprised that it was Isaac who knocked the blond out. Erica just laughed and called the pair mom and dad. Boyd simply nodded and said, "about damned time". Scott looked hurt and confused. It was Deaton's reaction that startled them. "Be sure to see me when you start showing signs of pregnancy, Stiles."

They both thought that the Vet had finally lost his mind. Whatever, they would think about all that later. For now, they just wanted to see where this union would go.

~fin~


End file.
